The present invention relates to a storage and feeding assembly for a plurality of rolls of web stock material and for dispensing web stock from sequential rolls of such material onto a work surface.
In the manufacture of products which employ rolls of web stock, it is desirable to continuously supply such web stock to, for example, a cutting machine for shaping the material into desired patterns for subsequent processing. The handling of roll web stock and the paying out of the web stock from a roll onto a work surface must be as continuous and uninterrupted as possible to improve the efficiency of the manufacturing process. Web stock typically can, depending on the nature of the material, be extremely heavy, weighing from 200 to 300 pounds or even more, and rolls of such web stock are cumbersome and difficult to handle. Once the stock is depleted from a conventional roll dispenser, it must be replaced. This is typically done manually, which requires several personnel.
In one industry, such as the boat manufacturing industry, web stock comprises woven fiberglass material which can be of various widths and densities depending upon the components being manufactured at a given time. Thus, it is also desirable to have the ability to quickly change the material supplied to a production line as different parts are manufactured. Other industries, such as those requiring woven fabrics for the manufacture of consumer products and the like, also utilize rolls of web stock material which may have different widths, textures, patterns, and the like. In any such industry, it is necessary, therefore, if using, for example, a common work surface with pattern cutting machines to have the ability to remove and replace relatively heavy rolls efficiently, such that a continuous supply of web stock is available for a given manufacturing operation.
Thus, there exists a need for a web stock feeding system which allows a substantially continuous supply of web stock to a work surface with minimum manual intervention, thereby speeding the manufacturing process and eliminating down time.
The system of the present invention satisfies this need by providing a roll web stock feeder assembly comprising a storage and dispensing bin having a plurality of vertically spaced chutes, each of which are capable of receiving a plurality of rolls of web stock material and dispensing material from an end-most roll through a guide located at the desired vertical position with respect to a work surface.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the chutes are inclined at angles to allow roll web stock to advance to a movable gate which holds the next roll of web stock in line to be advanced to a dispensing station when one roll is depleted. In a preferred embodiment also, the dispensing station includes horizontally spaced rollers on which the roll of web stock rests, thereby eliminating the need for a bar extending through the roll web stock. In a preferred embodiment, a keeper bar extends in front of the web stock for holding it in placed as material is dispensed therefrom. In a preferred embodiment also, a lateral stop is provided for holding the web stock (which may be of different widths) in predetermined horizontal alignment with respect to the work surface.
Also in a preferred embodiment of the invention, a plurality of bins can be provided and positioned in the work environment on rails, such that as the web stock from one bin is depleted, it can be replaced with a fully loaded bin. The bins can be preloaded with web stock utilizing forklifts and the like for handling the heavy web stock material and loading a plurality of rolls of such material into a feeder bin such that a sufficient number of rolls of web stock material can be preloaded into one or more bins prior to the operation of the assembly line to supply sufficient stock for a given run of an item to be manufactured.
These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description thereof together with reference to the accompanying drawings.